SC to hear bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-ur-Rehman

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Monday resume hearing the bail petitions of student leaders Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, and Shifa-ur-Rehman, all charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the alleged “larger conspiracy” linked to the 2020 Northeast Delhi violence.

According to the causelist on the court’s website, a Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria will continue considering the Delhi Police’s arguments opposing bail. In an earlier hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, argued that the 2020 violence was not a spontaneous communal flare-up but a “well-designed, well-crafted” assault on national sovereignty.

Mehta told the Bench that evidence, including speeches and WhatsApp chats, pointed to a “clear and discernible attempt” to polarise communities. Citing Imam’s alleged remarks, he said the activist had expressed a “heartfelt wish” for a chakka jam in every city with a Muslim presence.

Mehta also relied on WhatsApp chats, the police say, outlining plans for damaging property and raising funds, describing the alleged conspiracy as “systematic and synchronised.”

On Thursday, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju played video clips of Imam’s speeches and footage of the riots before the court, saying the material showed a “clear, deliberate, and coordinated” effort to incite unrest. The Delhi High Court earlier denied bail to all the accused.